How I Spent My Summer Vacation
by MBLite
Summary: Evo/Buffy Crossover. And with Ch 10, it's complete. Language still naughty, violence still... violent. Sequel on the way.
1. Higher Education

AN: Hi!  Okay, this is the start of my crossover fic.  You'll see who we're crossing over with at the end of this chapter, where you'll also find the disclaimers du jour.  But to start out: I, MBLite, do not own X-Men: Evolution.  I'm just a lit-geek who needs something to do to burn brain power between sessions of working on her senior project.  This fic is set in the same universe as _Tag!, _during the following summer.  Enjoy!

            "What's in California, Professor?"  Scott asked, eyeing his plane ticket suspiciously.

            "Hollywood," Kitty said.

            "Disneyland," Kurt added.

            "San Francisco," Evan threw in.

            "Redwoods," sighed Beast.

            "Fault lines," grumbled Rogue.

            "Okay, okay!  Sheesh.  I meant what's in California for _us_?"

            "There's a small town, one of the suburbs of Los Angeles, some very interesting activity's been going on there.  The local branch of the University of California is doing a very covert summer program for mutants, run by an old friend of mine.  She asked if I might be willing to recommend a few advanced students to the program.  Congratulations, you six made the cut."

            "But it's _summer _Professor!"  Kitty protested, pouting.  "How come we have to go all the way across the country and learn more?"

            "Now Kitty," Xavier said patiently.  "During the school year you six have monopolized much of my attention.  We have many young students at this school who also need guidance.  This way, they can receive the attention they deserve-"

            "Without you idiots forgetting everything you've ever learned," Wolverine growled from the doorway.  "Besides, I'm sick to death of all of you, damn it."  

            Some of the kids giggled, except of course for Rogue, Kitty, and Kurt.  Kurt and Amanda had been dating exclusively since the Sadie Hawkins dance, Kitty and Lance were still going strong, and Rogue did not relish the idea of being an entire nation's width away from the one boy in the world she could- or wanted to- touch.  They all filed out of the room for a last training session with a grumpy Logan, but Rogue lingered briefly behind.

            "Professor, I'm thrilled that you thought of me for this and all, but-"

            "But you're not thrilled with the prospect of spending time away from young Mister Maximoff, I realize."

            "I keep forgetting you read minds."

            The Professor looked down his nose at her with an uncharacteristic smirk.

            "Well, in addition to being psychic, I'm also not an idiot, Rogue.  However, I believe this opportunity is more important for you than for anyone.  I realize I have made little headway in helping you to control your powers, and I'm deeply sorry for that.  I promise you it's not for lack of trying, but every theory Dr. McCoy and I have come up with has crashed in phase one testing.  So far, the only clue we have is the 'homeopathic' approach Mister Maximoff inadvertently discovered.  However, Hank and I question the safety of that approach with other mutants, as Quicksilver's accelerated metabolism may have been a primary factor in the immunity, to say nothing of humans."

            Rogue leaned against the wall and sighed.  Somehow it seemed so much less important now that she and Pietro were virtually inseparable, but she was still so tired of being afraid and cautious all the time.

            "The University program may help you to make headway in controlling your natural powers.  Also, your latest physical shows that you still retain the undiluted powers you adapted from Quicksilver.  I'm sure you've noticed the increased heart rate, for example."

            "And here I thought that was just my newfound love of pixie stix."

            "Very amusing, Rogue.  In addition to learning to control your own powers, you now have the powers of a speed demon to contend with.  This program will help you advance by leaps and bounds.  Besides, it's just for a month.  You and Mister Maximoff will be back to playing Scrabble and getting in Logan's hair by mid-July."

            "Yes Professor," Rogue sighed.

            "Go along now, you know how Logan feels about anyone walking into the middle of a danger room scenario."

            "Yeah.  By the way," she said, pausing in the doorway.  "What town are we going to anyway?"

            "If memory serves," the Professor said, "it's called Sunnydale."

AN:  Okay, for those of you who aren't fans of the other show, Sunnydale is the setting of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.  Disclaimers continued:  I do not own Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Fox does, and they should be very proud.  But not so proud that they sue me over this little bit of fluff.  (But on the other side, hey, wouldn't it be ginchy if Dark Horse and Marvel did a crossover comic?  Oohhh…)


	2. We don't know who Jim is, but we like hi...

AN:  Sorry this chapter is so short, I figured something was better than nothing.  Disclaimer du jour: I don't own Amtrak or Jeep.  

            "This sucks," muttered Kitty, cramming blouses into a suitcase.

            "I second your 'sucks' and raise you a 'blows,'" Rogue replied, folding up jeans and t-shirts and stuffing them into her duffel bag.

            "Yeah, but, can't you and Quicksilver just like, both start running and meet each other in Kansas?"

            "Maybe," Rogue said.  "I gotta figure out the distances.  Maybe we can both get Kurt to 'port us over to the Brotherhood house from time to time.  How'd Lance take it?"

            "Better than I expected.  He understands that I want to get better with my powers, he can deal.  How'd Pietro take it?"

            "You know Pietro.  Every hour seems like days, a month seems like a decade.  Ever since I absorbed his powers completely, I feel the same way."

            "That, or it's the 'I'm totally in love for the first time in my life' thing talking," Kitty laughed.  

            "Yeah, I guess that might have something to do with it.  What the hell am I gonna do in California?  Work on my tan?"

            "Well, maybe the Professor's right, and this program could like, really help your control."

            "That'd be nice, I mean, not having to keep completely covered all the time.  I just wish I didn't have to spend a month away from the one person I _can _touch."

            "The Professor told me that the teacher at the program, Ms. Browning, was saying that maybe I could use my powers to take control of objects I phase into.  That'd be kinda cool."

            "I guess there's worst ways to spend a chunk of my summer, I just wish it didn't have to be so damn far…" she trailed off at a knock on the door.

            "Ladies," Scott said in their doorway, "Our ride to the airport awaits."

            "This sucks," Pietro grumbled as he and Lance sat on the porch on a gorgeous, sunny, downright miserable day.  Lance kicked at nothing and scowled.

            "I'll see your 'sucks' and raise you a 'really fucking sucks.'"

            "Stupid bald man.  So how are we going to get to California?"

            Lance glanced sideways at Pietro.

            "We can't, Quickie, we can't afford a trip out west."

            "Don't be so damned defeatist.  A month without stripes is a month not worth living, and I'm far too pretty to die."

            "You could run us there."

            "I could run myself there, I don't think I can carry any extra weight that distance nonstop."

            "How far do you think you could manage?"

            "I dunno, stand up."

            Both boys stood up, and Pietro made an effort to lift Lance onto his back.  Upon lifting him off the ground, Pietro immediately tipped over.

            "About a block on my best day," Pietro replied.  "We could make it a road trip."

            "Yeah right.  We don't have that much money for gas, and the Jeep wouldn't make it to the Midwest without blowing up," Lance said, getting back up and dusting himself off.

            "Plane ticket?"

            "Us and what money?"

            "We could go steal Xavier's jet."

            "Never learned how to fly it.  Hitchhike?"

            "Mutants hitchhiking across middle America, that'll end well," Pietro said, rolling his eyes and sitting back down on the porch.  "When the hell did travel become so hard?"

            "Can we afford train tickets?"

            "They're about as expensive as plane tickets."

            Lance and Pietro sat in silence.  

            "You forgot to get the paper this morning," Lance commented distractedly as he noticed the plastic bag sitting in the cracked driveway.

            "Since when do we get the paper?"  Pietro replied, but got it anyway.  

            "Comics for Freddy, advice columns for Tabs, headlines for Todd, astrology for me, leaving you with sports or classified," Pietro said, swiftly dividing up the paper and handing Lance his allotted sections.

            "Thanks large, Quickie," he muttered; having no interest in sports, he flipped through the classifieds.  "Would you look at that."

            "I know, this is _so _irritating, 'Aquarius: Take care not to make any especially impulsive-'"

            "Not that, Miss Cleo, the want ads."

            Pietro glanced over, examining the small block of text where Lance had his finger.  _Two ticket vouchers, Amtrak, call for details, ask for Jim, _and a phone number.  

            They scrambled indoors and both grabbed for the phone.  Finally Lance was allowed to make the call because they didn't think Pietro could speak intelligibly while so excited.  The tickets were forty bucks, Jim and his girlfriend had planned the first class trip and then broken up, and Pietro and Lance couldn't possibly have given less of a rat's ass.  Lance met him at the gas station, gave him forty dollars, took the vouchers, and raced back home.

            "I told you I could force life to be fair to me, Rocky," Pietro grinned, already zipping around his room and packing.

            "You?  What did you do?"

            Pietro grinned his famous grin and shook his head,

            "Lance, Lance, Lance.  _I _got the paper."


	3. Pacific time and other complicated ideas

AN: Okay things I don't own…um… X-Men, of course, Buffy, obviously, University of California, Jake and Polly are inconsequential original characters of mine, I don't own Anne Rice, no one does, she's a real person, I don't own _Gone With the Wind _or any associated characters and I think that's it.  Just for timeframe reference, this story takes place after _Tag! _and in the Buffy-verse, I'm putting it between the events of "Older and Far Away" and "As You Were."  Thus, there will be Buffy season six spoilers in the story.  Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy.

            "God, I hate flying commercial," Scott said as he and the others came away from the baggage claim.  "I just never trust the pilots, you know, I mean, I don't know how they've been trained!"

            "Seriously.  I think I might just run home after this is all over," Rogue muttered. 

            "You guys are so spoiled!  Not everybody can have a state of the art supersonic jet in the backyard," Evan laughed at them.  Everyone else rolled their eyes.

            "Oh please, this from the guy who griped for thirty minutes about only being allowed one carry on!" Kurt replied.  Evan looked wounded and clutched his skateboard closer to his chest.

            "I don't like to be without my board, man.  It's like a security blanket."

            They milled around, regrouping, making sure everyone had everything, and then Jean noticed a woman holding a sign with "Xavier Institute" written in large block letters.

            "Are you Professor Browning?" Scott asked.  

            "Nope, I'm her T.A.  My name's Polly Wyatt.  If you've got everything, we should bust a move, the van's parked in a red zone outside."  She turned, leading the six mutants out of the terminal, as Evan turned to Kitty and mouthed "Bust a move?"  They piled all their stuff into the back of a U.C. Sunnydale van, situated themselves and were underway.

            "Hey," the blonde boy driving the van said, "I'm Jake Tyson, how you guys doing?"

            "Good," Jean replied, smiling.  

            "So you're Xavier's kids," he continued.  "How's that superhero thing workin' out for you?"  Three answered:

            "Great!" Scott said.

            "Enh," Evan said.

            "Bites," Rogue said.

            "Um, that's good to hear, I guess," Jake said with a glance at Polly.  

            "So are you guys mutants too?" Jean asked.

            "Yup!  Jake can access all radio and television frequencies with his mind.  It's kinda cool, he can watch about 80 channels at once."

            "90."

            "Yeah, right, when ten of 'em are infomercials.  I can manipulate dead plant matter."

            "Dead plant matter?" Kurt asked.

            "Yep, you know, paper, natural fiber cloth, that sort of thing, I make nice floral arrangements too.  What can you guys do?" 

            Kurt was more than delighted to oblige.  

            "Evan can shoot bone spikes from his body, Kitty can move through solid objects, Jean's telekinetic and a mind-reader, Rogue can absorb anyone else's powers-"

            "And run at up to a hundred and seventy-five miles an hour," Kitty added.

            "-Scott can shoot a really strong beam from his eyes, I can teleport and I'm pretty good at climbing."

            "Wow… that's like straight offa the sci-fi channel!"  Polly exclaimed.

            "Way out…" Jake added.  

            "You're gonna miss our turn, Jake."

            The van made a sudden right, sending Kurt crashing into Evan, Kitty crashing through both and almost falling out of the van entirely until Jean telekinetically grabbed her.

            "Sorry," Jake said sheepishly.  "We're here."

            The younger mutants were shown to their rooms, all on the same hallway, two to a room.  

            "So, we got an odd number of both genders," Polly said.  Jean smiled sweetly.

            "Oh, Scott and I don't mind doubling up," she started.

            "Nice try, red," Jake replied.  "Your professor called ahead.  Kurt and Rogue, Jean and Kitty, Scott and Evan."

            "Damn," Jean muttered as Scott blushed furiously, all of them hauling their stuff into the rooms.  

            "Browning won't be in until Monday, so feel free to check out the town this weekend.  There's a little club called the Bronze, it's where most of the locals hang out," Polly said, handing out bus schedules.  "No Saturday curfew, but we want you back by eleven on Sunday.  Just be careful out at night… there's a lot of freaks in this town."  

            Rather than discussing where they'd go, Rogue and Kitty picked up the phone in Kitty's room, and Kurt picked up the phone in his.  There were three significant others in Bayville who needed a phone call.

            "Tell her about the plan," Pietro said, hopping from foot to foot.

            "How was the flight?" Lance asked, listening for the response.

            "Tellherabouttheplan!"

            "What's the weather like?"

            "Tellheraboutthe_plan!!_"

            "Shut _up _Pietro, you'll get your turn.  Okay.  I love you too, pretty Kitty.  Okay.  Have Rogue fill you in.  Bye babe."

            Pietro snatched the phone and lit up like Times Square when Rogue got on the other end.

            "Hello, gorgeous.  Me and Rocky got a plan.  We've got a way to get to Cali, we're just gonna raise a little money, I figure we'll be there in a week.  Yes really!  We'll go see the ocean, we can run to Hollywood, spray paint our names on the sign.  So what are you wearing?  Ooh… oh yeah.  You know I'm not wearing any underwear…"  Pietro cackled as he heard Kitty shrieking 'eww' in the background.  "You're the greatest my love," he said.  "Go out, have fun, I'll be smothering you in kisses before you know it.  No, I won't get arrested!  You worry too much, stripes.  Uh huh.  Love you more.  No I love you more.  I do!  I completely do!"  The argument about who loved who more did not so much escalate as accelerate, until Kitty snatched the phone from Rogue and told Pietro that they loved each other equally, but she was taking Rogue out, then hung up.

            "Never let it be said that your girl can't be assertive Rocky," Pietro smirked, hanging up the phone.

            "So where are we going to raise money, smart guy?  Pick up loose change on the street?"

            Pietro grinned.

            "Got any change?" he asked.  Lance grumbled and reached into his pocket.

            "How come you never have any change?" he asked, handing Pietro a pile of coins.

            "Ruins the line of my clothes.  Watch and learn."  Pietro spun in a quick circle, throwing the change all around the room.  Lance took a penny to the forehead.  _Dammit, _he thought, _this is why I wear a salad bowl on my head.  _ He was about to start snarling at Pietro when he realized he hadn't heard a single coin hit the ground.  He looked down and saw Pietro had slid in front of him, grabbing the penny that had bounced off Lance's head, along with all the rest of the change.  

            "Never underestimate how much loose change gets dropped in a day, Lance."

            "Great, we're all set then!"

            "Um… don't overestimate how much loose change gets dropped in a day, Lance," Pietro shrugged sheepishly.  Lance sighed as Pietro threw the change in an old soda bottle.  "I think we may have to resort back to old habits, my friend."

            "I've got an idea."

            Back in California, the X-Men stepped off the bus.

            "Are you sure this is the right stop?"  Jean asked.

            "I'm sure, it's right here."

            "Scott, did you remember to wind your watch back?" 

            "Um…"

            "Nice job, fearless leader," Rogue muttered.  "Where the heck _are _we?"

            "It's creepy, wherever it is," Jean said, shivering in spite of the heat.  Evan snatched the bus schedule out of Scott's hands.  

            "Oh great!  We're at the _cemetery!_  Way to find those hoppin' night spots, Cyke," Evan rolled his eyes, examining the map on the bus schedule.  "Okay, the Bronze is here, we're here.  We cut across the cemetery, hang out five minutes, and bam, we're dancing with local honeys only fifteen minutes behind schedule."

            "Cut through the cemetery?" Kitty said doubtfully.  

            "Only other choices are a forty minute wait for the next bus back to the school or a seven mile walk to avoid the cemetery and the bad parts of town."

            "I vote cemetery," Rogue said.  "There ain't nothing in there but dead people, and I think we could take 'em if it came down to it."

            "She's got a point," Kurt said.  Jean and Kitty laughed nervously.

            "I guess she does," Kitty agreed half-heartedly.  "Well… let's get going."

            They started trudging across the cemetery, which was quite beautiful in an Anne Rice kinda way.  There were above ground crypts, gorgeous marble monuments, and lovely trees that were probably planted before the town got its charter.  Unfortunately, not everything in the cemetery was inanimate.

            "Do you hear something?" said Jean, stopping.  Scott may have been wearing sunglasses, but the rolling of his eyes was pretty apparent in his voice.

            "Oh don't start…"

            "No, I think she's right, dude, listen," Evan said, stopping as well.  They all paused, and there was a definite sound of grunting and fist hitting skin.

            "Ah hell.  No rest for the wicked," Rogue muttered, as they all took off toward the source of the noises.  Rogue broke through to the clearing first, taking in the scene quickly with her newly quickened senses:  Blonde girl built like Kitty, hitting a strange-faced kid over and over again.

            "Hell," she muttered again.  _Jean, I'm gonna pry the beat-ee away, can you run interception on the blonde?_ she thought, hoping Jean would pick up on it.

_On it.  _Jean thought back.  Suddenly the blonde girl was floating backwards as Rogue grabbed the guy and dragged him a few feet away.  

"Someone wanna tell us what's going on here?"  Scott asked as Jean let the girl down.

"You wanna mind your own business?" the girl replied, running towards Rogue and the other kid.  

"Oh…kay," replied Scott.  Rogue zipped away from the kid, intercepting the girl.  

"Not exactly forthcoming, are you?" she said, hands on her hips.

"I'm working right now, Scarlett O'Hara, I'll be happy to come forth later," the blonde girl snapped, trying to get around Rogue.  

"That's funny, cause from where I'm standing, it looks like you're trying to beat the hell outta that mutant back there," Rogue said, blocking the blonde.

"Mutant?" the blonde said incredulously, turning to face Scott and the others.  "Is she serious?"

"Rogue, look out!" Kurt shouted.  It was too late, however: the strange-faced kid had grabbed Rogue by the neck, his bare hand touching her skin.  Her eyes went wide as both convulsed.

"Shit!" shouted Scott and the blonde simultaneously.  

"Scott, _do _something!" Kitty shouted.

"I can't get a clear shot without my visor, the beam'll blow Rogue's head clean off!"  Suddenly Rogue and the kid were blown apart, as though something had exploded between them.

"Good job Jean," Scott said.  

"It wasn't me!" she replied.  Rogue was kneeling on the ground, retching.  

"Guys…" she choked out, "I don't think that's a mutant."  The other kid staggered back, snarling.  

"Of course it's not a mutant, you morons," the blonde said, and threw something.  It hit the kid in the chest, some sort of stick, and he exploded into a pile of dust.  The X-Men's jaws all dropped as the blonde walked over and retrieved the stick.  She turned back, hands on hips, looking profoundly annoyed.

"It's a vampire.  Duh!"


	4. A high concentration of weird names

AN: Hiya!  In this chapter, the X-Men meet the Scoobies.  Let's see, I don't own CNN, Babylon Five, and that's it for today.

"So did you guys just come from a Babylon Five convention or something, cause, gotta say, I've heard vamps called a lot of things in my day, but the word mutant?  Didn't come up," the blonde said, dusting herself off and straightening her hair.  "Did you get bitten?" she said to Rogue.

"No… god that felt _horrible._"  Kurt knelt by her side.  "I'm so nauseous."

"Are you okay Rogue?" he asked, gently rubbing her back.

"Great, not only are they delusional sci-fi freaks, they've also got names like an 80's band," the blonde muttered.  

"This from a girl who, like, believes in vampires!" Kitty snapped.  The blonde glared harder.

"Hm, wooden stake, heart, dust, you're right, I'm way delusional, I need help."

"Guys," Rogue said, sitting back on her heels, taking a deep breath.  "I don't think she's crazy.  When that thing touched me, it was like… I couldn't absorb whatever was making it walk around, you know?"

"You mean it wasn't human?" Evan asked.  Rogue shook her head.

"I mean it wasn't alive."

"Wait," the blonde said.  "Absorbed?  Are you like, a demon, or a witch, or what?"  

"None of the above.  I'm a mutant.  All of us are.  Don't they have CNN in this town?"  

            The blonde snorted.

            "Well, in Sunnydale, we kinda got our own problems."

            "Um, this may sound kinda weird but…" Kitty said quietly.  "um… you don't know how to get to the Bronze, do you?"

            The girl  rolled her eyes and sighed a world-weary sigh.

            "Yeah, I'm meeting some people there.  You might as well follow me," she said, tucking the stake away in her jacket.  "Can't have you running around trying to befriend any more vampires."

            "Um, Buffy, I know we told you to try and get out more, and I don't wanna send mixed signals, but… did you have to go and join a gang?" a brown haired boy sitting on one of the overstuffed sofas asked as Buffy walked in with the X-Men.  The blonde rolled her eyes.

            "They followed me home.  Well, they followed me here.  Suicidal lunatics, Xander, Xander, suicidal lunatics."

            "Her name is Buffy and she's making fun of _my _name?" Rogue muttered, arms crossed over her stomach and still looking quite green around the gills.  Kitty and Jean moved her to an armchair.

            "I'm gonna get you a ginger ale, be right back," Kitty said, heading over to the bar.  

            "Remind me _never _to do that again," Rogue said, her normally pale face so washed out that it was bordering on clear.  

            "Looks like someone had a little too much fun last night," the boy called Xander said knowingly.  Rogue scowled at him.  The blonde, Buffy, sat on the couch next to him and sighed.

            "Nope, she's got some creepy absorby powers which she tried to use on a vamp, that didn't work out.  Where's Dawn?"  she asked.

            "She and Wills were on the dance floor last I checked," Xander said, craning his neck to look among the crowds.  "Anya should be closing up shop at the Magic Box any minute."

            Kitty returned with a ginger ale for Rogue, who then waved her on to the dance floor, refusing all offers of fussing over her.  

            "So," Xander asked.  "Absorb-y powers, you a demon or a witch or what?"

            Rogue gritted her teeth.

            "Jesus, am I in old Salem or something?  No, I'm a mutant."

            "In the Ninja Turtle kinda way?"  Xander asked.  Rogue blinked.

            "You guys aren't kidding, are you.  You really have no idea what mutants are."

            "If memory serves, they're heroes on the half-shell," Xander replied gravely.  

            "You can take that as a 'no,'" Buffy added with a shrug.  "The brains of the outfit is coming off the dance floor, you can ask her if you want."

            Moments later, a breathless red-haired girl plunked down on the couch.

            "Hey, who's your friend?" she asked the blonde.

            "She says her name's Rogue.  Willow, Rogue, Rogue, Willow."

            "Will, we need the powers of your amazing brain," Xander said.  "Have you ever heard of mutants?"

            "Um… like in the biology sense?"

            "You can take that as a 'no' too," Buffy shrugged.  "Look, I'm not that right wing, I don't care that much what you and your friends do, just don't make trouble in my town.  I give equal opportunity beat-downs."

            "You threatenin' me, blondie?" Rogue replied, bristling.  

            "Whoa, tension city.  Um, Buffy's not big into beat-downs unless you've done something wrong, like killed someone, opened the hell mouth, that kinda thing," Willow replied, trying to defuse the situation.  Of course, the ultimate defuser, Jean, then showed up to check on Rogue.

            "How you doing?"

            "A little better.  I feel less clammy inside.  D'you know these guys have never heard of mutants?"

            "That's really odd… gimme a sec, I'll ask the professor."

            "Can you go that long distance?"

            "We're about to find out."  _Jean to Professor Xavier, can you hear me?  _

_            Go ahead Jean, _the Professor replied.

            _How is it that no one in Sunnydale seems to have heard of mutants with the exception of our hosts?_

_            Sunnydale has been on a news black-out on all information regarding mutants, and mutants don't generally go there.  There's a high level of rather bizarre activity which is **not **mutant related, and mutants are frequently mistaken for… other things._

_            Is that why they keep asking us if we're witches or demons?_

_            It would be foolish to try to deny such things now.  I'll download a full dossier on the town into your laptop, Jean.  But please try to maintain a low profile from now on._

Jean opened her eyes.

            "So what's the word?" Rogue asked.  Jean sighed.

            "The good news is nobody's crazy.  He's sending me the file, we can check it out back at the school."

            "I was with your right up until you said nobody's crazy," Buffy said.  "Then you lost me."

            "Your town has been on a news blackout regarding mutants.  Apparently since you have… other activity going on."

            "You mean the thing with the town being on the Hellmouth?" Xander said.

            "Um… what exactly is this place?"  Jean asked.

            "It's Sunnydale, sits on the Hellmouth, hot spot for demons, vampires, and pretty much every other supernatural nasty the world has to offer.  Buffy's the Slayer, so she kills 'em."

            "No wonder mutants don't come here.  Show off in public, get mistaken for a demon," Rogue said.

            "Well, don't worry," Jean said, smiling at Willow, Xander and Buffy, "We'll stay out of trouble.  Back home, we're the good guys."

            "Out here, it's not always so easy to tell the good guys and the bad guys apart," Willow said quietly.  "Be careful, okay?"


	5. Famous Green Sweater

AN:  Another short chapter, sorry.  Oh, it was pointed out by a concerned citizen (Psychodelic Barfly) that I negleted to disclaim my lack of ownership of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles last chapter.  I own them not, nor the phrase 'heroes on the half-shell.'  This chapter, I don't own Jeep or Don Knotts.

            Back in Bayville, the frenzied attempt to raise money for accommodations and food began.  Lance expanded on the loose change idea: if the ground they stood on was given a good solid shake, payphones and vending machines would give up their coinage.  Meanwhile Pietro made a daily circuit of the area, scooping up any and all loose change, the occasional dropped bill, and once cleaned out the fountain at the local mall.  Now all that was left was to roll the damn coins and find someone who'd take them off their hands.

            Pietro had just finished off another roll of pennies when the phone rang.

            "Coroners," he answered.  "You kill 'em, we guess how."

            "Very funny Quickie," Rogue said on the other end.

            "Heyyy!  How's my girl?" Pietro asked.

            "Not so hot," Rogue replied.  "There's some weird shit going on in this town, sugar."

            "Are you all right?"  Pietro said, his blood running cold.  _RogueintroubleRogueintrouble…_

            "Yeah, we got into a fight, you're never gonna believe this, but… there's vampires here.  And demons, apparently.  And they've never heard of mutants.  One of the vampires touched me, it made me kinda sick.  I know I sound crazy but… maybe you shouldn't come here.  Something's not right."

            Had it been anyone else, Pietro would have laughed his perfect ass off, but Rogue practically _sounded _gray, and she'd never suggest that he not come to see her unless something was really wrong.  Pietro frankly didn't give a damn if it was vampires, werewolves, or Don Knotts in a gorilla suit, something was upsetting his girl. 

            "I'll be right there," Pietro said.  "I can be there by tomorrow afternoon if I start running now."

            "Baby, it's okay, you don't have to.  I mean, the others from the institute are here…"

            "Yeah, Summers and clowns, no offense, love of my life, but that doesn't inspire an enormous amount of confidence.  If Alvers and I leave tomorrow, we can be there by Wednesday."

            "Pietro, I don't think it's a good idea, these kids we met, they say this place is on something called a Hellmouth."

            "Not up for discussion, stripes," Pietro replied sternly.  "Either you come home or I come to you, and I know you can't come back yet."

            "Not gonna stop you am I?"

            "Not a chance."

            "Be careful.  Call me when you get in."  
            "I love you.  Don't you dare let anything happen to you."

            "I won't sugar.  I love you."

            Pietro hung up the phone.

            "We need to leave, Lance, tomorrow."  

            Lance looked up.  

            "What's going on?" he asked.  Pietro swallowed hard.

            "Wherever that bald idiot sent our girlfriends, it's not good, cause apparently they call it the Hellmouth.  Get in the car, we're turning that change in."

            "We can't do it here, they'll be on the look out after all those vending machines came up empty."

            "Then we drive down to Connecticut, take the train from there."

            "What about the Jeep?" Lance asked.  Pietro ran upstairs and when he came back down, Todd was in his grip, toothbrush in mouth, in mid-stroke.

            "Something I can help you with, speedy?" he mumbled.  

            "We're going to Connecticut, then Alvers and I are going on a little trip, we need you to drive the Jeep back.  We'll explain on the way."

            "I can't drive, yo."

            "Dammit.  TABBY!"

            "WHAT!"

            "GET DOWN HERE, WE NEED YOU!"

            Tabby slid down the rickety banister, landing in the living room.  Pietro grabbed her by the shoulders the second she landed.

            "Tabby, Lance and I have to go to California, we're going to Connecticut first, we need you to drive the Jeep back home."

            "Um… okay, how come we don't get to go to Cali?"

            "Because we only have two tickets and there's something weird going on in that stupid town where that stupid bald man sent our girlfriends and Lance and I have to get there fast."

            "Okay, what's in it for me?"

            "Tabby!!"  Pietro snarled.

            "Seriously!  I might have had plans."  Tabby said, sticking her lower lip out.  Pietro's eyes narrowed.

            "Did you?"

            "Well no, but-"

            "What do you want?" he asked, fed up that he'd already wasted thirty second debating this.

            "Um… lemme think…"

            "No thinking!  Just ask for something, dammit!"

            "Umm… green sweater!"

            "What?  _What _green sweater?"  Pietro snapped.  "Oh.  That green sweater.  Fine, you heartless bitch, you get my favorite green sweater that brings out the blue in my eyes.  Just be ready to drive tomorrow or I'll beat you to death with all our change."

            Tabby rolled her eyes and walked back upstairs, muttering,

            "You guys are so god damned weird."

            "You ain't kiddin', yo," Todd said, brushing his teeth.


	6. The last beautiful day

AN: Another short one, sorry.  I don't own the Magic Box or _Jaws. _  This chapter contains some gore, reader discretion advised.

            It was a pleasant, gorgeous day Sunday morning, and after much cajoling and insistence that vampires didn't go out in daylight, Scott was finally persuaded to let the mutants try a second shot at having fun.  Jean wanted to buy a new sun dress, Evan wanted to see if he could get new wheels for his skateboard, Kitty wanted to try a frozen tofu, and Kurt, Scott and Rogue had nothing better to do.  All went out strolling down the town's main thoroughfare, wishing the weather in Massachusetts were as pleasant.  

            Jean stopped off at one boutique, and after a rather pointed suggestion that he ought to 'help' her, Scott did the same.  Evan dragged Kurt with him into the Ferris Wheel, a bike/skate shop, and Kitty and Rogue carried on strolling.

            "I am _so _glad I'm not a vegan," Kitty said, throwing her frozen tofu into a trash can.  "That was totally vile."

            "You haven't thought of going vegan, Kitty?"

            "No way, those people are _weird,_" Kitty replied.  "Are you sure you're feeling better?"

            "Yeah… this place is just so… I wish we hadn't come here.  Hey, isn't that where those kids we met last night work?"  Rogue said, pausing by a shop called the Magic Box.

            "I think so.  You wanna go in?"

            "I think we've hung out with them enough," Rogue said, and the two started walking.  The bell rang behind them as the door burst open.

            "Wait!  Adolescent girls, don't go!" they turned and were grabbed by a girl with blonde hair and big brown eyes.  "Come inside, participate in commerce!"  She hauled them bodily into the store.

            "Must be a slow Sunday," muttered Kitty.

            "Whoa there Anya, you don't need to be quite so proactive- _hey!  _It's the mutants!"  The red haired girl from the club, Willow, was sitting on the counter, smiling at them.  Anya let them go and looked at them.

            "Mutants?  Well that's different.  Do mutants shop?"

            "More so than most humans in her case," Rogue said, nodding towards Kitty.  Anya beamed.

            "Excellent!  We'll get along great!"  Anya grabbed Kitty and started showing her around the store.  

            "For a town that's never heard of mutants, y'all sure seem okay with the idea," Rogue said to Willow, browsing through a selection of books.  Willow smiled.

            "Well, Anya there is an ex vengeance demon, and a firm believer in everyone's right to give her money in exchange for goods and services.  As for Buffy, she's pretty much okay with anyone who's not trying to kill us.  We're used to weird."

            "What about you?  You seem pretty normal."

            "Recovering black magick junkie."

            "Oh."

            "This is the next step in my recovery program, being in the presence of magickal objects without the urge to use them to mess with reality.  Or at least resisting said naughty urge."

            "This stuff really works?"

            "You better believe it, toots," Willow replied.  Kitty came bouncing up to Rogue holding an embroidered indigo shawl.

            "Okay, small bouncy girl is all set, now for you!" Anya said, approaching Rogue with a deliberateness which made the theme from _Jaws _seem warranted.  

            At last, after being subjected to sales tactics that were at best barely legal, Kitty walked out with her shawl, and Rogue came away with a deck of tarot cards.  

            "A pleasure doing business with you," Anya said from the doorway.  "Come back soon with your friends and their money!"

            The two mutants stepped back out onto the street.

            "We have _got _to stop running into those people," Rogue sighed.  "It's unhealthy and expensive."

            "Rogue…" Kitty said.  Rogue looked up from the deck of cards and quickly put them away.  Lights spun in a slow circle, red, white and blue.  There were no sirens, no one spoke, no shouting.  The two girls got closer to a ring of people who were standing perfectly still.  

            The sun made the blood look fake, like red nail polish or paint.  The outlines of the buildings were reflected in it, and as Rogue stepped closer to the ring of yellow cellophane, she saw her own distorted reflection in the red.  The woman on the ground had black hair, and she was pretty when she was alive.  Her eyes were open, they were green, and dulled with dust from the street, strands of her hair sticking to the blood on the pavement and on her face.  Her neck was at an angle it shouldn't have been, one of her shoes had fallen off and was sitting on the ground a foot or so away, the lace untied and uneven.  Kitty buried her face in Rogue's shoulder as Rogue looked across the crowd on the other side of the tape.  Jean and Scott stood there, Evan and Kurt behind them.  

            Rogue met Jean's eyes across police lines, and Jean got her message across.

            _That's Professor Browning._  


	7. Don't talk to strangers

Author's note:  Okay.  I admit it.  I suck.  Hardcore, drag out, drop dead suuuuuck.  I'm real sorry to everyone who was following the fic for not updating in an age, it was a combination of writers block and a bunch of other crap, including writing my senior paper.  (Over thirty pages of Greek theatrical history and political/military philosophy.  Aren't you glad you're not reading that? ^_^)  Anyway, I'm pretty sure the writer's block is outta the way, so here's chapter 7.  Again, many apologies, gomen, gomen.  Just for reference, this story takes place in the Buffy timeline between "Older and Far Away" and "As You Were".  

            Evan and Kurt comforted a tearful Kitty back at U.C. Sunnydale while Jean and Rogue stood in front of Browning's stunned T.A.s.  

            "She just called me yesterday, to ask me to print up a syllabus…" Jake said.  Polly wiped her eyes and glared, trying to maintain control of herself.

            "I called Professor Xavier.  I'm sorry we're cutting the program short but you're going back to Bayville Wednesday.  Jake and I are going to be pretty busy with, um…" Polly's voice cracked, "the investigation.  We'd like you guys to try and stick close to your rooms in the meantime, you know, in case this was-"  Polly stopped again, trying to retain her control, but this time it was too late.  She turned towards the wall, tears pouring down her face.

            "In case this was a mutant thing," Jean finished grimly.  "We're so sorry."

            Lance's face was gray as he hung up the phone.  Pietro opened his mouth to complain that he didn't get to talk to Rogue, and closed it immediately as he saw Lance's expression.  

            "What-" Pietro started to ask, but he shut up again as Lance thrust the cash and travelers checks they'd acquired into Pietro's hands.

            "They're coming back Wednesday.  It's gotten worse.  Start running," Lance said.  "Call me when you get there."

            Lance alone got on the train as Pietro hit the ground running.  Seventeen hours to Sunnydale.

            Kitty and Rogue sat in Kitty's room watching the small TV that Jake and Polly had provided for them.   The word mutant was nowhere to be found, not on the news, not on the radio, not on the conservative talk shows that usually had plenty to say about what the right wing thought of _homo superior._  The two girls didn't have much to say to each other, no one did.  Scott and Jean were taking comfort in holding each other, Kurt and Evan had picked up a deck of cards and were playing a half hearted game of slap jack.  Kitty and Rogue sat with the T.V., thinking of sweethearts that they'd get to see much sooner than expected, but under the worst of circumstances.  Both nearly leapt out of their skins as someone knocked frantically on their door.  

            "Oh god, please help me," the person behind it said, voice muffled by wood.  Rogue opened the door to see a boy, perhaps thirteen or fourteen, with a gash on his forehead.

            "I didn't know where else to go," he whimpered.  "I'm a mutant, there's humans  after me, my friend's out there, I think they're killing her-"

            "Show me," Rogue said.  "Kitty, get the others and meet me out there."

            Rogue raced after the boy, out of the dorm and into the trees in the wood nearby campus.

            "Through here," he said, pointing towards a clearing.  Rogue took a deep breath and stepped cautiously forward.  In the clearing, there were about eight people, but by their faces, she didn't think any were humans _or _mutants.

            "Oh… oh no," she whispered.  The young boy who'd led her there grabbed her by the neck, smiling.

            "Understatement," he replied.

            "Rogue?  Rogue where are you?" Kitty shouted.  "Rogue!!"

            "Kitty, she's not out there," Jean said.  Kitty turned back to her, her face panicked.

            "She has to be, she told me to get you guys and meet her-"

            "That's what we here in Sunnydale like to call a trap," a grim voice said from the woods.  As they got closer, they saw Buffy, the blonde girl everyone kept calling the slayer.

            "Humans kidnapped Rogue?"  Kitty whispered, picturing some lynch mob stringing her up.  The blonde girl shook her head and sighed.

            "Vampires.  Come with me, we've got work to do."

            "Willow, you and me are taking this kid and going to do some interrogating," the slayer said, pointing at Kurt.  "Xander, take these two to the Bronze and start combing the area from there," she said, gesturing to Evan and Jean.  "Tara, take the kid in the shades and that girl and check out the graveyard.  Anya and Dawn will stay here, everyone call in if you find out _anything._"  With that, the Scoobies and the X-Men broke into their smaller groups, Jean and Evan with Xander in his car, Willow and Buffy walking/teleporting with Kurt,  Kitty, Tara and Scott on foot in the cemetery.

            The Bronze was pretty packed for a Sunday.  Jean felt a sinister edge in the air, a predatory feeling coming from virtually every person on the dance floor.  She took a deep breath and tried to open her mind slowly, allowing in only the thoughts of people thinking of killing and dying.  Fortunately, Xander and Evan caught her as the wave of thoughts knocked her off her feet.  Jean's stomach lurched: everyone in the club had death at the back of their mind.   It was painted on the walls, it had worked it's way into everyone's clothes like smoke, it was a bitter taste in the back of everyone's mouth.   The redhead swallowed hard and stood back up, marching resolutely toward the railing and pushing outwards with her mind, fighting back the nausea that came with over a hundred minds that had known too much death.  

            "Cemetery," Jean said, and ran out as fast as she could.  

            Meanwhile, over at Willie's bar, all the various and sundry creatures of the night tried to look as small and uninformed as possible as the slayer walked in with the witch and some kid way too young to be there in tow.  

            "New girl in town, goth, brown hair, white streaks," Buffy announced.  "Who and where or my friend here says a few words in Latin and this place, and everyone in it, goes up like flash paper," Buffy announced, hoping that none of the patrons had heard that the Hellmouth's most bad ass witch had quit cold-turkey.  "But only after I've broken every kneecap- or anatomic equivalent- to make sure you all roast."

            There was a brief moment of silence, until finally the bartender cleared his throat.

            "Cemetery.  I don't know who, but it's somewhere around the Dewey crypt.  You better get crackin', you got like two hours till midnight."

            "What happens at midnight?" Willow asked.

            "Same thing that always happens with a midnight deadline around here," the bartender replied, glancing in fear at Buffy.  

            "Let's go," Buffy said.  Laying a hand on the two girls' shoulders, Kurt, Buffy and Willow vanished in a puff of sulfur.

            Scott and Kitty had been introduced to the girl with ash blonde hair moments before they were to search the Sunnydale Cemetery.  She was beautiful and had a slight stutter, and seemed so serene and gentle that they couldn't help but like her right away.  

            Tara spoke a few soft words and a small ball of glowing light sparked into life, guiding their way and keeping them from tripping or losing their way.  They made a strange trio, the blonde witch in her flowing dress and renaissance-esque bodice, the two mutants in their snug, futuristic uniforms from the Institute.  All three nearly had heart attacks as Willow, Kurt and Buffy appeared next to them.  

            "Any luck?" Kitty asked.  Buffy nodded grimly.

            "Dewey crypt.  And we gotta move."

End note: Good lord!  What's happened to Rogue?  Where are Evan, Jean and Xander?  Where's Pietro?  I promise it won't be a month before my next update this time.  : )  Your patience astounds me.  


	8. Patent Pending

Author's note: I continue to live.  Freaky.  This is a pretty short chapter, but after the cliffhanger I figured I'd better deliver or get my online ass kicked.  Read Rio's threat in the reviews if you don't believe me!  (Just kidding Rio, I know you wouldn't _really _tie me to a flag pole… would you? –sweatdrop-)  Anyway.  Disclaimers du jour- I don't own Tony Hawk or his mad skateboard stylies.  Just a little note, there's a wee bit of naughty language, so if your ears burn, you might want to avert them… or your eyes.  I'm confused… I'll shut up.  Here goes.

            "Can't you drive any faster?" Evan snapped at Xander for the third time.  

            "Forgive me Tony Hawk, but perhaps you'd like to skateboard there?  I'm already pushing fifty, and no one's gonna get rescued any faster if we get arrested."

            "Or if I throw up on both of you," Jean said, still trying to shake the nauseous feeling in her gut from reaching out and touching several someones in the Bronze.  She slid across the back seat to open the window for some air, only to see a familiar face keeping up with them.

            "Hey, sorry to bug you, do you know how to get to U.C.- _Gray?!_"

            "Pietro?!"  Jean cried.  Xander sighed.  

            "Friend of yours?" he asked Evan as Jean opened her door and hauled Pietro in.

            "Hardly," Evan muttered.  Pietro looked at Jean, then Evan, then Xander.

            "Okay, wherethehellarewegoing, wherethehellismygirlfriend, and whothehellisthe oldguy?"  Pietro snarled.  

            "Wow, you really need to discover the decaf kid, and who the _hell _are you calling old?" Xander replied.

            "We're going to the cemetery, your girlfriend's been kidnapped by a pack of freaky vampires, and he's Xander, he's helping," Jean replied.  

            "Rogue's been kidnapped," Pietro said flatly.  Jean nodded and swallowed hard.  The string of curses which came out of his mouth was almost as loud as it was fast, and almost as creative as it was unintelligible.  

            "Andwhenallthisisfinished-" 

"Pietro."

"I'mgonnahave a _long _talk withthatbaldbastard aboutsending _my_ girlfriend _anyplace-" _

"Pietro!"  

"-called the hellmouth _ever _a-fucking-gain!"

"PIETRO!"  

"What?!"

"We're here, jackass," Evan snapped.  All four got out of the car and walked up to the cemetery.  Jean blinked.

"The others are already here.  Xander, do you know where the Dewey Crypt is?"

"Yeah, it's-" 

Pietro's foot drummed on the ground like a rabbit freebasing cocaine.

"Gray, yank the directions outta what's his name's head, I've wasted enough time."  

Jean glared narrowly at Quicksilver, but did as he asked.  The moment he knew where he was going, Pietro was gone, the others' ears assailed by a loud crack as he broke the sound barrier.

            Rogue woke with a deeply sick feeling in her stomach, and rolled over, getting so violently sick that she thought her ribs would break.

            "Charming," a voice said coolly. Rogue struggled to her feet, getting ready to bolt.  "Don't bother," the voice continued.  "You're as good as hotel furniture."  

            Rogue glanced down to see a shackle around her right ankle that would have looked very much at home in the dungeons of the Spanish Inquisition, chained directly to the floor.

            "My friends'll find you," Rogue said, feeling strangely ashamed as she wiped off her mouth.  

            "Yeah, they probably will."  The person she spoke to finally emerged.  It was the boy who had knocked on her door in the first place, looking angelic and way too young to be a monster.  "But the thing is, you'll already be dead."

            "That won't make you any less dead," Rogue replied, sounding far more certain and indifferent than she felt.  The boy smiled.

            "Actually, the colloquial term is 'undead,' but I know what you're getting at," the boy replied.  "By the time I'm done with you, your friends won't be a problem."  Rogue just rolled her eyes and laughed.

            "What's so funny?"

            "I'm just picturing your head seared off at the neck.  Or maybe just entirely crushed."

            The boy narrowed his eyes.  

            "You know, I always told myself I wasn't going to do this sort of thing when I became an evil mastermind, but I'm going to make an exception and tell you just what I've got on deck for your death."

            "Lemme guess.  Hellmouth thing, big ol' ritual sacrifice-"

            The boy gave a short laugh.

            "Hellmouth.  Don't give me that superstitious shit.  I'm not one of the witchdoctors crawling this place."

            "Then what are you?"

            "I'm a scientist.  And a damned brilliant one, Miss Mutant."

            "How the hell do you know about mutants?"  Rogue snarled.  

            "Not everyone is born and dies in this backward little hole.  I've been many places and I've learned plenty about you and yours.  So much, in fact, that I've come up with a handy little invention."

            The boy paced in a circle just out of Rogue's range, making her feel like a leashed guard dog.

            "Not an invention really, a chemical compound.  You were dosed with it while you were having your little nap.  You see, vampires get their strength from the blood of live victims.  Mutant blood was always of particular interest to me, but it turned out to be just like human blood.  Nothing special.  Until my little compound, anyway.  It preserves the activated X-gene and integrates it into a vampire's physiology,"  he paused and smiled.  "I'm still waiting on the patent."

            Rogue blinked at him.

            "I have no idea what the hell you just said."  The boy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

            "Stupid mortals.  Because I injected you with my patent-pending compound, I will retain all the powers that come with your mutation.  After slitting your throat and drinking your blood of course.  Just takes a while for the compound to take effect.  You should be ready right around midnight.  Then I'll use your mutation to drain the life out of your friends and the slayer, without all the nasty messy throat biting.  Much more sanitary this way.  Oh, shoot, I just remembered something!" he exclaimed smacking his forehead.  

            "What?" Rogue asked.  The boy smiled benevolently.

            "You don't need to be conscious."

            His fist slammed into her face and the world faded to red, then black.


	9. Stuck

AN:  Sheesh!  You guys are getting fiesty!  Repeat after me: We're not going to kill MB.  MB can't write anything if she's dead.  Okay, here's chapter nine.  Chapter ten will be up very soon, and I think there will be a sequel.  Warnings for lotsa violence and bad words.  

            "We're not gonna sneak up on anybody with this kinda crowd," Buffy said, sharp eyes scanning the graveyard.  While the mutants were surefooted and quiet, and Willow and Tara likewise experienced in nightly patrols, they were still currently up to six people, with another three on the way.  

            "Personally I'll take the superior firepower to the element of surprise," Willow replied, glancing at Buffy and Scott.

            "They'll be expecting us, whoever they are," Scott said.  He reached out to Jean with his thoughts.

            _Jean, we're in the cemetery, _he thought.  

            _We're almost there.  Quicksilver's on his way._

_            Quicksilv- _Scott wasn't able to finish his thought as the speed demon himself came to a halt beside them.

            "Um, hi Piet-"  Scott began.  Quicksilver just glared at him.

            "Oh shut up.  You lost my girlfriend."  

            Buffy rolled her eyes, reached into Willow's backpack and handed him a wooden stake.  Pietro took it and smiled grimly.

            "Finally, someone proactive.  Now where the hell is this Dewey Crypt?"

            "We're looking at it," Willow said, gesturing to the concrete masoleum before them.  

            "Are so you're waiting for what exactly?" Pietro exploded.

            "We were waiting for Jean and Evan, Maximoff, they've got a lot of firepower between them!" Scott snapped.  Pietro rolled his eyes.  

            "The hell with that.  You got an extra stake, red?" he said to Willow.  The older girl nodded and handed him one.  

            "You're not going in there alone, idiot, they'll like, kill you!" Kitty pleaded, but Pietro just smiled.  

            "They'd have to catch me first, Pryde."

            He was gone in a blur, the iron door of the crypt swinging behind him.  

            "Fuck," Scott growled.  Buffy sighed.

            "Come on.  Tell your psychic friend that they're just gonna have to catch up with us."  She trudged inside, and Scott couldn't help but notice that she almost seemed bored with the situation.

            Pietro whooshed down the stairs with no regard for what might be in front of him, deeper into the earth where the dead Deweys crumbled slowly to dust, where someone had taken his girlfriend.  He came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs as he heard voices:

            "Look, I helped you organize that little raiding party, and I'm not a shallow man, but I'd really appreciate it if you gave me my fucking check so I could get out of here before the slayer shows up to kill you."

            "Over a century old and a complete lack of vision.  What I'm offering you is ten times better, idiot."

            "And I am graciously declining."

            "You're being incredibly stupid."

            "You don't have my money, do you?"

            "That's beside the point."

            "Fan-bloody-fucking-tastic.  Can you have it anytime soon?"

            "Frankly, by the time I'm done with this experiment, I seriously doubt I'll be inclined to honor old debts."

            There was a crash as something hit a wall.

            "Oh don't be so childish.  There's absolutely no reason for you _not _to participate in my experiment.  It could even solve your nasty little chip problem.  After all, you wouldn't need to attack anyone, just touch them."

            "I happen to _like_ attacking people, you git."  

            "Neanderthal," the other voice replied.  The first sighed irritably.

            "Fine, I'll try your fucking joy juice, Hector.  Where is it?"  

            Tempted though he was to go in with stakes blazing, Pietro realized he still didn't know where Rogue was, and the last thing he wanted to do was get her killed.  He glanced around the doorframe too quickly to be seen.  Two people, vampires presumably, one looked like he was only about fourteen years old, brown hair and less formidable looking than Todd.  The other appeared more substantial, with bleached hair and a leather coat.  

            "It isn't ready yet, idiot.  The compound is still taking effect."

            "How long do I have to wait?"

            "I decapitate the little hick bitch at midnight."

            Ice crashed down Pietro's veins.  The two vampires were standing on either side of a stone coffin, past which was a door.  If he went around them, he'd be spotted.  He crept back up the stairs to get some momentum behind him.

            Spike was seriously contemplating just killing Hector, letting the girl go, and going home to get drunk, since this evening wasn't going to do anything for his financial solvency no matter how well it went.  This contemplation was disrupted by a gale force wind which knocked both vampires off their feet.  Spike's head collided with the wall; he growled and rubbed the back of his head.

            "Little drafty isn't it, mate?" he muttered.  Hector had sprung to his feet, his face distorted as his inner demon emerged.

            "Something's wrong," he snarled, charging down the hallway.  Spike sighed, put his own game face on, and followed.  

            Pietro, meanwhile, was at an impasse, and getting angrier by the second.  Iron door, large iron girder holding it shut, locked in place.  He put his ear to the door and heard nothing, but was more than willing to bet that Rogue was behind it.  He turned around just in time to dodge the edge of a shovel aimed at his head.  The younger vampire snarled, his deformed face twisting into a grin.

            "Quick little bastard, aren't you?"  he hissed.  Pietro ducked another blow, moving so quickly that it appeared the shovel had just gone straight through him, and grinned back.

            "The quickest," he replied, and shot from sight.  Spike looked up the hallway where Pietro had run and glanced back at Hector.

            "And here I thought 'speed demon' was just a figure of speech."

            Hector snarled with rage and checked the iron door.

            "That wasn't a demon, you peroxide moron, that was a fucking mutant!  Which means there's more on the way, out to ruin my experiment!"  

            Pietro bolted back up the stairs, stopping as soon as he saw red glowing flashes.

            "_SUMMERS!_" he shouted.  "What the _hell _is taking so long?"

            "We're a little busy!" Buffy shouted back.

            "The rest of the bad guys showed up!" Scott added.

            "I think I found Rogue!" Pietro shouted.  "I need Wagner or Pryde to get her out!"

            "Gimme a sec!" Kitty shouted back.  

            Upstairs, the melee continued.  Scott's optic blasts were only about as effective as physical force, causing no burns, which was unfortunate; Kitty was successful in phasing through walls whenever anyone was about to strike her, then staking them while they tried to free themselves.  Buffy was doing the most damage, with Willow and Tara hanging back by the door and keeping an eye out for Jean, Evan and Xander.  

            "Scott, look out!" Kitty screamed as a vampire prepared to slam him over the head with a large chunk of concrete.  Scott turned to retaliate only to see his assailant fall backwards, clutching a bone spike through his throat.  

            "Remind me to brag about my aim later," Evan said, charging into the fray with Jean close behind.  

            "Kitty, go!" Scott shouted.  "Jean, block the stairs!"

            Kitty ran through several vampires that tried to get in her way and hit the stairs running, her pursuers facing a formidable telekinetic wall.  The vampires outnumbered, the slayer and mutants began picking them off one by one.

            Kitty ran downstairs, nearly colliding with Pietro, who caught her by the shoulders.

            "There's two vamps down there.  You're gonna need to phase through a stone coffin and an iron door to get to Rogue, concentrate on that, I'll keep them busy."

            "What do I do when I get there?" Kitty said.  Pietro looked ill.

            "Hope that we've killed everyone who needs killing before they can get the door unlocked.  Go."

AN- I know, I know, but where the hell could I stop this chapter and have it _not _be a cliffhanger?  Next chapter up soon, thanks verily to all those who've been reviewing/reading.


	10. Last Stand

AN: Chapter Ten, last chapter, don't have a wiggins, read the closing note.  

            Kitty Pryde had never been a fan of track, but you would never have known it to look at her in the Dewey crypt.  She stopped briefly when she got to the coffin chamber, her heart stopping in her chest as Hector and Spike caught sight of her.  She ran as hard as she could, phasing through the stone coffin, and out of the corner of her eye she saw a white blur slam into both vampires.  Pietro may not have been the strongest boy in the world, but you'd be hard pressed to find one with stronger bones, so when his fist hit each vampire's skull at seventy five miles per hour, the damage was significant.  Kitty tried to ignore the sounds of fighting behind her as she ran straight for the iron door, shutting her eyes as she came up on it.

            _I decapitate the little hick bitch at midnight… I decapitate the little hick bitch at midnight… I decapitate the little hick bitch at midnight…_the vampire's words played over and over in Pietro's head, keeping his rage fresh as he flew around the room, striking the vampires again and again.  The one called Hector grabbed the shovel and started swinging wildly, trying to strike what he could barely see.

            "I'm going to kill the girl, kid," he screamed.  "I'm going to drink her blood and then I'm going to suck all the speed out of your scrawny, filthy, human body."  

That did it for Pietro.  He ran by the vampire, sweeping his legs out from under him, and caught the shovel, bringing it down on the stone coffin so that the handle snapped.  Before the vampire could get up, Pietro drove the wooden handle into his heart.  The vampire's demon face fell away, and a disturbingly human one looked up at Pietro before crumbling to dust.

            "That's what you get for calling me human," Pietro said, smirking and leaning on the shovel handle.  He only paused a moment before bolting back to the entrance of the chamber, nose to nose with a certain peroxide blonde.  "You know would be really not funny right now?" Pietro asked, swinging the remains of the shovel handle in his left hand.  

            "Look, I realize you're upset-" Spike started.  Pietro continued.

            "It would be really not funny if a certain bleach blonde creature of the night instrumental in the kidnapping and near death of my much beloved girlfriend-"

            "-it was really just business-"

            "-tried to sneak away without getting what's coming to him."

            Spike tripped and fell backwards onto the stone floor.

            "It was a business deal, kid," Spike replied grimly.  "Nothing personal."  Pietro cocked his head and gave a Spike a slightly deranged grin.

            "I'm pretty famous for being overly sensitive."  

            Pietro raised the shovel handle above his head as the others came running down the stairs.  Kitty's face phased through the iron door.

            "Pietro?  Is it safe?" she asked, stepping out completely, Rogue in tow.

            "It will be in just a second," he said.  He caught sight of Rogue and paused, his relief outweighing his rage for a moment before his reverie was broken.

            "Don't kill him,"  Buffy said.  Pietro's head snapped around to stare at the slayer.

            "Hold the vamp, Gray," he snapped with such vehemence that Jean complied.  "Did my ears deceive me, blondie, or did you just ask me not to kill this guy?"

            "I didn't ask you, I told you.  He's an informer," Buffy said, some of her confidence appearing to wane.  "He's more use to me alive than dead."

            "He nearly got my girl killed, I don't give a damn if he mows your lawn and shines your shoes," Pietro replied, turning back to Spike.  Buffy grew more frantic, advancing on Pietro, slamming into another invisible wall as Jean continued to side with Quicksilver.  Tara glanced at Buffy, then at Pietro, shut her eyes, put her hands into a strange position and spoke:

            "Kuan Yin, goddess of mercy, gentlest of all, save these two beloved from themselves."

            The room was filled with white light, so pure and bright that no one could keep their eyes open.

            Rogue and Buffy stared at each other across the room as the handle of the shovel clattered to the ground.

            "What happened?" Willow asked, looking with awe and fear at Tara.  Rogue swallowed hard and replied.

            "They're gone."

            Pietro lost his balance and hit the pavement as his hands came up empty.

            "What the hell happened?" Spike asked, picking himself up off the ground.  Pietro got up and searched for his shovel handle or any other object wooden and pointy.

            "If I remember right, I was about to shove a piece of wood through your heart and send you to hell in a dustbuster for messing with my girlfriend," Pietro muttered.

            "That's right, as I recall, I was about to kick your cocky arse," Spike replied, marching up to Pietro and giving him a shove.  The fist fight deteriorated rapidly into both wrestling on the ground, so engrossed that neither noticed the newcomers approaching.

            "Here kitty kitty…" a feminine voice purred from out of the shadows.  Both Pietro and Spike looked up from trying to kill each other.  "Lookie, two pretty blondes in a catfight.  Mrow."

            "You'll have to forgive her," a male voice chimed in from the dark.  "She's got a real thing for beautiful blondes."

            Both of the 'blondes' in question had the distinctive feeling that they were in trouble as the female voice, all too eager, asked brightly,

            "Play now?"

Endnote-  Well, that's the end of _How I Spent My Summer Vacation_, but before you form a torch carrying mob, it's being continued in a sequel commencing immediately.  Well, tomorrow night, anyway.  That story will reveal what's happened to Pietro and Spike (if you've guessed where they are, shush!  Don't' ruin the surprise of my lame plot device!)  After all, I'm way too much of a feminist to have Pietro rescue Rogue without Rogue rescuing him back.  Thanks for all your varying degrees of patience, thanks for reading and/or reviewing, the next one's on the way.  Oh, closing disclaimer:  I don't own dustbuster.


End file.
